Lehigh University Athletics
Virginia duo bonds over basketball
9/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
For the past two seasons, Billi Ford has been the general on the court for Lehigh, acting as the team’s on-the-floor leader as the point guard. Shelita Burks has been a key ingredient in Lehigh’s recent success, using her quickness and athleticism to help the Mountain Hawks on the defensive end of the court, which often translated into easy opportunities for Burks and Lehigh on the offensive end. Both Ford and Burks are now juniors at Lehigh, and both grew up in Northern Virginia, not too far away from Washington, D.C. However, it took a chance meeting and a little bit of luck for the two to become best of friends. Billi Ford was a member of her local AAU team since she was 10 years old. She had been playing basketball since the third grade, and has always been a point guard, despite being the tallest player on her team at the time. Shelita Burks, on the other hand, had barely picked up a basketball until a friend convinced her to give the sport a try when she was a seventh grader. Burks picked up the sport rather quickly, and by high school, she enjoyed the game, and was a very good player. At the high school level, Burks tried out for, and made, the local AAU team, the Potomac Valley Vogues. It just so happened that there was a point guard on the squad named Billi Ford. The two met, and quickly became friends. Shelita and Billi played on that squad and traveled together throughout high school, and when it came time to look at colleges, the two spoke frequently about potential options. Both Ford and Burks ultimately selected Lehigh University, but who decided to attend Lehigh first? "I did," says Ford. "Lehigh presented the opportunity for me to get a great education and play competitive Division I basketball." "We had talked about attending the same school because we were accustomed to each other’s tendencies on the court," Burks added. "The Lehigh style of play was what Billi and I were used to: an up-tempo game with an aggressive defensive style. It fit us perfectly." Shortly after Ford committed to Lehigh, Burks did the same. Prior to their freshman year, the two participated in the "Challenge For Success" program at Lehigh, giving them a chance to experience a taste of college life and earn course credits before the first semester actually began. It also gave the duo a chance to meet new people and get accustomed to life on the Lehigh campus. "We’ve definitely been a positive influence on each other," Burks explains. "Participating in the CFS program was a really good experience, and having Billi there made for an easier adjustment." In fact, Ford still works as a peer counselor in the Challenge For Success program during the summer, helping incoming freshmen adjust to their new surroundings. "It’s a lot of fun," Ford says. "Besides, it’s a chance to help others and hopefully I can help them have a great experience like I had." Ford and Burks team up again and join some of their other teammates during the summer to help at Lehigh’s basketball summer camps for youths and teams. "I like working with kids, and teaching the game of basketball," said Ford, who spent time working one-on-one with girls in the 10-12 year old range. "It’s a lot of fun and something I really enjoy," added Burks, who has worked high school summer camps in the past. Both enjoy the coaching so much, they may consider pursuing that after graduation, at least on a part-time basis. Ford is a psychology major, and Burks has a double major in management and marketing, with a minor in sociology. Like the entire women’s basketball team, Ford and Burks take the academics very seriously, and studying on the road is the norm. The juniors lean on each other for words of encouragement and moral support. "It’s very nice, because we know we can count on each other for anything," Ford says. Lehigh head coach Sue Troyan recalls the recruiting process that brought the two to Lehigh, but says getting the pair into a Mountain Hawk uniform was not a package deal. "We knew they were friends, but we were recruiting them as individuals," Troyan explained. "They’re both very athletic and talented, and we were fortunate to get them both. They’re such hard workers, and that rubs off on their teammates." The two players and their styles compliment each other well on the court, and their friendship outside of basketball no doubt helps foster their success on the hardwood.
